BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops Adolf Hitler), and was redesignated Schutz Staffel, (Protection Squad), in April 1925 with the official acceptance of the name verified on the second anniversary of the failed Munich "Beer-Hall" Putsch on November 9TH 1925. On January 6TH 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsführer-SS, (National Leader {of the} SS), and on July 20TH 1934 shortly after the, June 30TH 1934, purge of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment) on the "Night of the Long Knives", the SS was rewarded by Hitler by being granted the status of an independent organization under direct control of the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker's Party). From its inception the SS began an aggressive policy of expansion which resulted in the formation of the SS-SD, SS-potential und Sicherheitspolizei, (SS-Security Service and Security Police), in June 1931, the SS-VT, SS-Verfügungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops), and the SS-TV, SS-Totenkopfverbände, (SS-Death's Head Units), in March 1933 which would eventually evolve into the Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), in December 1939. The Waffen-SS basically followed the German army's system of recruitment and instituted their own Ergänzungsstelle der Waffen-SS, (Replacement Centers of the Armed-SS), under the control of SS-Obergruppenführer Gottlob-Christian Berger of the SS-Hauptamt, (SS-Central Office), and in theory, could only recruit personnel on a voluntary basis although many personnel were "press-ganged" into service. As the war continued and man-power shortages became severe the standard criteria for acceptance into the Waffen-SS was decreased dramatically and numerous personnel who would have been unacceptable in 1939 were readily conscripted into service with the Waffen-SS. The 33. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS Charlemagne (französische Nr. 1), was formed in 1944 and drew its personnel from French volunteers. Due to the racial makeup of the divisional personnel Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler forbade wear of the SS runes on the collar insignia as he did not considered it to be a true SS division. As a result of Himmler’s decision not to allow the personnel to wear of the SS runes it was decided that another suitable, runic, symbol be utilized and the ancient closed, Sonnerad, (Sunwheel) was authorized for wear. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: A very attractive, 64cm x 42cm, Waffen-SS recruitment SS. Large size image of a Waffen-SS member wearing a double button M43 cap with armed troops in the foreground. Poster reads "LA BRIGADE S’ASSAULT ded VOLUNTAIRES FRANCAIS", "TROUPE D’ELITE, lutte pour l’existence der l’Occident et le maintien de la culture spirituelle de la France et de l’Europe" and "Ecrire ou s’addresser pout renseignements et engagement: ERSTAZKOMMANDO FRANKREICH der Waffen-SS. Paris. 24 Avenue du Recteur Poincare". As is expected, shows the typical age yellow but overall excellent condition. Very nice example.